Various package configurations have been utilized for remote meteorological instrumentation. These have included systems powered by gasoline or diesel powered generators, fuel cells, solar panels, and the like. It has been found extremely difficult to locate prior art instrumentation packages of this type remotely, in that, the entire package or components thereof cannot be readily transported to remote sites by light helicopter and easily assembled at the site, disassembled when desired, and removed to another site.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency has for a number of years attempted to require potential air polluters to continuously monitor certain meteorological and air gas parameters at remote sites. In particular, they want remote instrumentation packages including a continuous gas analyzer (which comprises an electrical heater, and metering and sampling pumps) in said packages.
The industry has not been able to supply such packages because of the large power consumption of such instruments, particularly the continuous gas analyzer, and the remoteness of many of such sites, they being far from utility lines, inaccessible by roads, or even when near utility lines being subject to variations in, voltage and blackouts. The use of internal combustion powered electric generators is precluded because the exhaust gases would contaminate the air quality measurements being made and transporting fuel to sites inaccessible by road is extremely expensive and cannot be relied upon under all weather conditions.
Locations range from flat desert to rocky mountain sides. Maximum temperatures exceed 105.degree. F. and minimum temperatures well below 0.degree. F. Winds commonly rise to as much as 85 miles an hour. On the other hand, the continuous gas analyzer requires a small ambient temperature range, approximately 75.degree. F. plus or minus 10.degree. F., so provision must be made to heat and cool the instrument when the ambient temperature is below or exceeds that range.
Additionally, there is a wide variation in the amount of solar power received due to weather conditions, variations between day and night, and variations between winter and summer.
As previously indicated, a collective solution to all these problems has eluded the industry to date.